UNSPSC 50584501: Non GMO bibb lettuce

The variety of Non GMO lettuce known as Non GMO bibb lettuce. This means that they are produced without the use of methods that genetically modify organisms by means that are not possible under natural conditions. Such methods include cell fusion, microencapsulation and macro-encapsulation, and recombinant DNA technology (including gene deletion, gene doubling, introducing a foreign gene, and changing the positions of genes when achieved by recombinant DNA technology).

Traditional methods of breeding, conjugation, fermentation, hybridization, in vitro fertilization, or tissue culture are considered to be non-GMO.

UNSPSC 50584501 Non GMO bibb lettuce is a Commodity code that encompasses fresh produce procurement for state and local institutional food service — primarily school nutrition programs, state agency operations, and county education systems sourcing fresh fruits, vegetables, and related items for cafeteria operations and child nutrition initiatives. The recent solicitation activity shows school districts as the dominant buyer across multiple states, with state procurement offices and county education systems conducting parallel fresh-produce RFPs and IFBs. Vendors supplying under this code typically deliver weekly or multiple times weekly to school sites, maintain HACCP plans and food-safety certifications, comply with Buy American provisions, and absorb all shipping and handling costs in their pricing. Contracts are competitively bid on a line-item basis, with awards to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder; price escalation clauses are common, allowing midterm adjustments only when documented cost increases exceed 3–5 percent and are supported by USDA Agricultural Marketing Service or Consumer Price Index reports.

Recent activity concentrates in Georgia, Texas, Florida, and Missouri. The Georgia Department of Education issued IFB #4 2027-2026 for fresh produce due May 27, 2026, and the State of Georgia posted a broader food, supplies, and kitchen products bid due June 22, 2026. School district activity is extensive: Early County Board of Education (Georgia) issued an RFP for food and non-food items including fresh produce for the National School Lunch Program due June 8, 2026; Northside Independent School District (Texas, Bexar County) issued RFP 2026-048 for fresh produce with evaluation emphasizing price (35%), extent of goods meeting needs (25%), and quality (15%), due May 7, 2026; Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida) solicited specialty fresh fruits and vegetables for the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (cost-plus fixed-fee model) due March 11, 2026; Bulloch County School District (Georgia) issued an RFP for locally grown produce (within 200 miles) due May 4, 2026; Rockwood R-VI School District (Missouri) requested grocery items including fresh produce for July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, due April 29, 2026; and Liberty County Board of Education (Georgia), Muscogee County School District (Georgia), Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (Georgia), Glynn County Board of Education (Georgia), McAllen Independent School District (Texas), Austin Independent School District (Texas), and Douglas County School System (Georgia cooperative serving 30 districts) all posted competing fresh-produce solicitations in the March–April 2026 window. No current major set-asides for disadvantaged businesses are identified across these procurements, though some districts encourage affirmative contracting with minority and women-owned vendors where federal funding applies.